Egils Rozenbergs, Pēteris Sidars CONTRASTS
Two contemporaries, two world-renowned Latvian textile artists, two creative personalities with their own views on processes and phenomena, on tings seen in nature, explored in travels and identified in history.
Egils Rozenbergs and Pēteris Sidars’ field of interest is broad and encompasses many artistic disciplines – textile art, installations and objects, which unite in terms of form, but counterpoint in terms of substance each artist’s unique hand in Latvian art.
Egils Rozenbers’ marines, sand-like patterns and Aztec imagery, his unique technique of copper wiring in tapestry and sharp contrasts between field and detail are unmistakably his and cannot be confused with any other artist’s creations. It would be equally hard to attribute to anybody else Peteris Sidars’ bold installations, paintings, textile and fibre art installations and installation groups, which, in their own distinct way, have created a different perspective on art and have oft outpaced global ‘contemporary’ tendencies. Peteris Sidars’ molten plastic compositions are vivid and fluid and, in a way, as images, may even compete with paintings. Occasionally, the artist resorts to well-known if bemusing materials – silicon, glass, plastic, hot glue and all kinds of natural objects, but the focus of attention is always colour, form and structure.
If Egils Rozenbergs first sketches his ideas and only then transports them to large-format tapestries, Pēteris Sidars is a ceaseless experimenter who surrenders to the material and lets the material direct the idea in the process of creation.
Two striking contrasts in art, united by an education in textile art, by textile itself and by the image of a global artist.
Egils Rozenbergs (1948)
In 1971, graduated from the Textile Art Department of the Art Academy of Latvia, having begun his pursuit of tertiary education after graduation from J. Rozentāls Secondary School of Fine Arts in Rīga in 1966. Former president of Latvian Artists’ Union (1994-2005), secretary general of European Textile Art Association (1993-1997), vice-president of Latvian Artists’ Union Board (1982-1992), chair of the Textile Art Department at Latvian Artists’ Union (1977-1992); teacher of drawing and painting at Rīga Secondary School of Applied Art (1971-1975).
Exhibits his work since 1968. Has held numerous one-man shows and participated in countless group shows in Latvia and beyond, including Greece, Great Britain, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, the USA, Norway, Germany, China, Russia, Sweden, etc.
The artists’ work is held in a number of museum, gallery and private collections in Latvia and abroad.
Pēteris Sidars (1948)
Trained at Liepāja Secondary School for Applied Art (1964-1967; 1969-1972) wherefrom went on to study at the Textile Art Department of the Art Academy of Latvia (1973-1978). Retains membership in several professional organisations, such as Latvian Artists’ Union (1981), The American Latvian Artists’ Association (1990), FITMA / Taiwan (2007), etc.
Since 1976, regularly exhibits his work both in Latvia and overseas. Has had a number of one-man shows in Latvia as well as taken part in major international competition exhibitions, conferences and symposia in Italy, Poland, Belgium, Japan, Switzerland, France, Mexico, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark, the USA, China, etc.
The artists’ work is held in the collections of the Latvian National Museum of Art and Latvian Artists’ Union as well as in other museum and private collections both in Latvia and abroad.
Māris Čačka
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